Ski bike



Oct. 31, 1950 G. F. STOF 2,528,397

SKI-BIKE Filed May 6, 1948 Inventor Gustav Felix Srof Patented Oct. 31, 1950 )SKI BIKE Gustav Felix Stof, Salzburg, Austria, assignor f one-halfto August Gnehm, Bozeman, Mont.

Application May e, 1948, Serial No. 25,459

In Austria N ovember 11, 1946 The present invention relates'to certain new and useful improvements in winter-sports equipment and has more particular reference to a device which resembles a ski but which may be used by a person while seated. Devices of this typeare usually termed ski-bike or ski-sleds.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, practical, readily maneuverable device which is characterized by a seat equipped ski runner, and by means located in the fore portion for steering and controlling the actions of same; said means have readily steerable hand grips for convenient and practical use, whereby to provide a device for bobsledding -or toboggan slides and for skiing While seated, on certain snow-covered slopes.

One object of the invention is to provide novel steering means characterized by a substantially U-shaped runner provided with a fixed vertical post between its limbs and having its upper limb provided with a frame arrange ment with conveniently located and satisfactorily actua-ble hand grips.

Another object of the invention is to provide a trailing ski forming a runner connected with said first named steering runner by Way of the post in such a way that the said runners overlap and are arranged close to each other in the overlapping sections, while being substantially or nearly parallel provided with a well braced and systematically balanced and arranged seat for the. occupant.

Another object of'the invention consists in the provision of a dual pedal means which is detachably and rockably mounted on the forward portionof the ski, the pedals being adapted to be controlled by the feet of the driver and being so arranged that they serve as effective stabilizers and brakes to assist in insuring controlledimaneuverabilitir of the improved ski-sled.

Other objects and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying illustrated drawings,

In the drawings:

Figure l is-a perspective view of a ski-sled constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side View with parts in section to bring out the construction and arrangement of structural details and parts.

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section on the line 33 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings it will be seen Claims. (01. 280-16) I that the structure according to the invention is characterized, broadly speaking, by a rear unit or section A by a complemental forward steerable section B and by a footpedal unit C.

The rear section A comprises a single runner or ski 5 having a relatively thick central portion 6, a trailing end portion 1, and a forward bendable portion 8 carrying adjacent its outerend a pair of L-shaped clips 9 defining a keeper for the twin-type foot pedal unit 0. This unit comprises a shaft I0 remova-bly fittedbetween the clips 9 and having foot pedals. hingedly mounted as at l l, on opposite ends thereof. The toe portions of the pedals, denoted at [2, are suitably shaped and arranged to accommodate the feet of the user. The rear end portions constitute drag brakes l3 and function in a sub-' stantially obvious manner. By having the unit C as a separate part, it may be readily applied and removed, and angularly tilted at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the ski for bringing them into advantageous angular positions to control maneuvers and to enable the driver, with his feet, to manipulate the entire sled skillfully and to best advantage. Unit A also includes a suitably shaped seat I 4 which is poised centrally and properly balanced on the ski. The seat is mounted on horizontal frame members l5 connected with a U-cleat [6 which fits over the intermediate portion of a diagonal upwardly inclined brace 17. The lower end of the brace has a similar cleat l8 and this is fitted over the portion 6 of the runner or ski. The same clip serves to accommodate the vertical portion l9 of the triangular seat frame means.

The steering means or unit B comprises a flexible runner which is bent into U-shaped form and this provides a horizontal gliding or runner portion 20 gliding over the snow covered surface, a return bend 2! defining a piloting nose, and an upper limb 22 substantially parallel to the gliding portion 2%. A vertical post 23 is fitted into collars 24 secured between the runner 20 and limb 22 at a distance from their free, ends. A steering plate 25 is mounted above the upper end of the post and riveted to the limb 22 to accommodate attaching ends 26 of adaptor braces 21 which serve to accommodate a sub.- stantially rectangular handling frame 28. This comprises upper and lower longitudinal members 29 and 3G, and vertical or transverse end members 3|, which members 3i accommodate elongated spools 32 forming hand grips. The vertical frame is arranged rearwardly of the post and above the sled with the handles so placed that the occupant of the seat may have clear vision and perfect control of the unit B in relation to the unit A.

Collars 33 and 34 having channel-like adaptor portions 35 accommodate the free ends of the ski and brace respectively, Through the medium of the collars 33 and 34 and adaptors 35, the ski unit A is swingably mounted on the post carried by the steering unit B, the two units being thus freely swingable with respect to each other.

The ski unit A is characterized by a single ski or flat runner and a diagonal brace for connecting it to a post, a seat being centrally arranged on the ski and partly supported by the ski, and partly supported by the brace. A further characteristic of the invention consists in the twin foot pedals C, mounted on the unit A. The unit C is arranged to allow the occupant of the seat to assist the steering maneuvers by using the pedals, to stabilize the vehicle to provide the necessary braking, dragging .and other actions. The substantially U-shaped runner forming the steering unit B and carrying the vertical post 23, and rectangular frame means 28 with swivelly mounted hand grips 32, is placed so close to the fiat runner carrying the weight that it acts merely as a movable fore section to the latter.

Minor changes in shape, size, materials and rearrangement of parts may be resorted to in actual practice so long as no departure is made from the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. A ski-type sled for tobogganing and other purposes comprising a U-shaped steering unit including a vertical post and adaptor brackets, a rectangular frame mounted on and suspended from said adaptor brackets in parallelism and spaced rearwardly of the post, swivelly mounted hand grips on the vertical portions of said frame, and a trailer unit embodying a ski operatively attached at its forward end to said post.

2. A ski-type sled for tobogganing and other purposes comprising a U-shaped steering unit including a vertical post and adaptor brackets, a rectangular frame mounted on and suspended from said adaptor brackets in parallelism and spaced rearwardly of the post, swivelly mounted hand grips on the vertical portions of said frame, a trailer unit embodying a ski operatively attached to its forward end to said post, including a seat on the intermediate portion of the ski, and foot pedal means on the forward portion of the ski.

3. A ski-type sled for tobogganing and other uses comprising a substantially U-shaped member with a lower horizontal portion forming a runner, with an upper horizontal portion forming a return limb and with an intermediate portion forming a piloting nose, a vertical post secured rigidly between the rear ends of said runner and limb, a vertically disposed rectangular frame, means attaching said frame to the upper portion of said post, a pair of spaced vertically disposed and swivelly mounted hand grips on said frame, and a seat-equipped ski attached operatively to said post.

4. In a single track ski-type sled a fiat ski member forming a runner, a seat supported intermediate its ends, a steering apparatus, including a further flat ski member bent to U-shape and having a gliding portion and a, return limb substantially parallel to the gliding portion, a steering pivot extending between points of said return limb and gliding portion at a distance from their respective free ends, a brace running from the point of support of the seat towards the upper end of the steering pivot, the fiat ski member forming a runner overlapping the free end of the gliding portion of the U-shaped ski member and running to a point close to the lower end of the steering pivot in approximate parallelism with the said gliding portion, collars with adapter brackets pivotally holding the steering apparatus said adapter brackets being attached to the ends of the brace and to the fiat ski member forming a runner respectively, and handle means attached to the free end of the return limb of the steering apparatus.

5. A single track ski type sled comprising a piloting and steering unit of U-shape embodying a fiat ski like guiding portion in contact with the ground surface, an outstanding piloting nose and a return limb, substantially parallel to the gliding portion, said piloting and steering unit being formed by bending a flat ski like member, a steering pivot mounted between the limb and the gliding portion at a distance from their free ends, a steering structure attached to the free end portion of the return limb and including members held in approximately vertical position, said members being provided with handles, a trailer unit comprising a fiat ski member having its forward end swivelly connected to said steering pivot close to the point of attachment of the latter to the gliding portion of the steering unit, said forward end being substantially parallel to but Overlapping the free end of the gliding portion of the steering unit, a brace leading from an intermediate point of the flat ski member of the trailer unit carrying at its end a swivel connection for the steering pivot, arranged in the upper end of the said steering pivot, a triangular frame formed by the lowermost portion of the said brace and an angularly bent support, connecting the point of attachment of the brace with the flat ski member to an intermediate point of the brace and a seat supported by said bent support.

GUSTAV FELIX STOF.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,117,807 Diener et al. Nov. 1'7, 1914 1,462,889 Slater July 24, 1923 1,613,722 Robinson Jan. 11, 1927 2,109,826 McCleary Mar. 1, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 45,574 Switzerland Nov. 9, 1908 42,505 Austria June 10, 1910 

